The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-01
WE STILL HOLD THE TROPHY
The Volunteer 0utsails the Thistle in
the Second and Deciding Heat.
The Americas Cup Still Remains with Us.
but Mr.. Bell Says 1t Will Be Challenged
for Next Year-A Square Race.

New YORK Sept. 30.-The second attempt to
sail the second race in the two-out-ofthree
match for the Americas cup accomplished
to-day, under circumstances that compelled the
most ultra Britisher to say that the cutter
Thistle beaten fairly and soundly. The
first victory of the Volunteer was not thorough
ly admitted by the foreigners. The latter
alleged that the the inside course was
fair in itself, and they declared the
crowdng steamboats, lent assistance toward de-
featine the Thistle. The day did not open
propitiously. The same old storm that had been
hanging about for two days was still lingering,
and the bank of fog that showed
yesterday was still under the skies. When the
boats got below Sandy Hook they found right
lively breeze. The excursion boats came down,
to the number of twenty five, and these. to-
gether with the steam yachts and tugs with
private parties aboard. sweled the number to
fifty Every one of the $4,000 spectators saw as
square race as was ever sailed in any waters.
The contestants were at the point Of start in
good season, as was the Electra, flagship of the
New York Yacht Club, with the committee OF
judges board. 1t was at precisely 1890 A. NJ,
that the preparatory signal given. That
was the time stated in the circular formally
issued by the committee days ago. At that
time the excursion boats and steam yachts
had gathered about the line formed from the
Electra TO the Scotland lightship, and made a
gala day picture. At 10:40 the gun to startwas
given. At that moment the Thistle and Voun-
teer were southeast of the line. not two hundred
yards apart. each working gradually to the line
The Thistle was nearer, and went away her
trip nearly four lengths ahead of the Volunteer.
The yachts started follows: Thistle. 10:4O
81; Volunteer, 10:40: 50:004. They went over
the starboard tack, and the Volunteer at once
began to out-point and out-foot her opponent.
Their course was northeast for twenty miles to
windward aud return before the wind.
The weathering qualities of the yachts
seen at once The Volunteer outbointed the
cutter by nearly two points and won the race
by the mastery manner in which she went to
windward The first tack, which was long
one-seven miles-decded, virtually. the race.
The Volunteer beat to windward of the Thistle
in a way that satisfied all spectators who knew
anything about it. that the American boat
would win. On each tack that followed. the
Volunteer continued to get to windward and to
get ahead as well. The Volunteer not
only out pointed her rival but outfooted
her as well. Tack after tack showed up the
same thing, and tack after tack showed that the
sloop was beating the cutter. There could be
mistake about it The Volunteer took five
tacks in reaching the outer mark, and the
Thistle required six.
Every time the cutter went about she did it
sooner than the sloop. A careful estimate of
the time each boat took to go in stays was made,
and this was the result. in seconds Volunteer
25. % %. 25 25; Thstle-2o, %, %. q. % %.
The wind at the start blowing about
twenty miles hour 1t maintained that veloc-
ity all the way out, except period of perhaps
twenty minutes, when it let down considerably,
during which time the Thistle people claimed
that they were becalmed, while the Volunteer
held the wind. Really the contestants were
equally afflicted. The yachts rounded the outer
mark like this: Volunteer. 226:40; Thistle, 2:41.
The boats set spinnakers coming home, and
the question to whether the broad cutter
could go fast enough before the wind to
work was to be decided The Volunteer had
lead of fully two and one-half miles when the
Thistle rounded, and that was not diminished
very much on the run. The Thistle was first to
take in her spinnaker, but the Volunteer fol-
lowed suit Immediately. This move occa-
stoned by the fact that neither boat could make
was necessary. In the run home the wind let
up as well. 1t dropped to ten miles hour.
The steamboats, had much troublein getting back
to the finish line on time to see the
Volunteer successfully defend the Americas
cup, most of them waited to see the Thistle
round the outer marx. That detained them
nearly fifteen minutes but once under way for
home they maintained jolly speed. and. leav-
ing the Thistle far astern. they got there in
time the American sloop cross the line
winner by ii minutes, 49, seconds.
The following table gives the figures, includ-
ing the six seconds allowance that the Volunteer
had to give the Thistle forty mile course
Start Finish. Actl time. Cor. Time
Volunteer. 1o:4o5Oa 4:23:47 5:42:5614 5:42:564
Thistle 1O40:21 4:35:12 5:54:5 5:54:45
In the windward work the Volunteer beat the
Thistle IA minutes 494 seconds. On the run be-
fore the wind the Thistle beat the Volunteer
minutes 544 seconds. After the race Mr.. Bell
admitted that the Volunteer, with her center
board. had fairly beaten the Thistle in racing to
windward. He insisted, however that the
courses laid out by the Americas cup committee
were unfair. He said that he fully expected to
win the inside and the triangular,
or third race, because he had no
doubt that the Thistle conld easily
heat the sloop in running and reaching. Mr..
Bell added that the Thistle for sale for $780,
900, and that if purse were offered for another
race she would be entered. He had nothing to
say about the foul condition of the bottom of
the Thistle to-day. and designer e. L. Watson
and Captain Barr both admitted that the Thistle
had been beaten in windward work. and that
the center board had largely helped to do it.
Mr. Bell, correspondent of the Glasgow Herald,
says that challenge for the cup will surely
come next year.
They Take the Defeat Gracefully.